The Blossunzel Affair
by mat528
Summary: After the events in "The Mane Event" and "Something's A Ms.", Sedusa returns to make Blossom, Ms. Bellum and the women in Townsville pay for her misfortunes.
1. Chapter 1

THE BLOSS-UNZEL AFFAIR

**A/N: Did I mention how I really suck at titles? This idea came to me after I watched the PPG episode "The Mane Event". ****The "pencil sharpening" scene in this chapter is what happens between the Mayor and "Ms. Bellum" in the episode "Something's a Ms.".**

**Timeline/Summary: A little after the "Mane Event" and "Something's A Ms." episodes. Blossom and her sisters learn that too much of something isn't necessarily a good thing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Powerpuff Girls, or any other publically recognizable characters. They belong to Craig McCracken, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, and any other affiliates and partners. I'm not making a dime off of this fic.**

CHAPTER ONE

In the city of Townsville, Blossom flew home way before her sisters that afternoon after the monster with the million eyes, or the "Million eyed Monster" as the Townsville media called it, had been defeated. She'd managed to "barbeque" Bubbles and Buttercup for laughing at her with her laser beams, but now she thought about what would happen when word of her disastrous mane of hair (or lack of it) reached the Pokey Oaks Kindergarten class.

She thought about faking an illness to get out of going to school, but Professor Utonium, the Powerpuff Girls' creator and father, would insist that she make the short trek to her kindergarten class.

Blossom could just hear him say, "Aww, come on, Blossom. You used your haircut to your advantage and you took your sisters down a peg in the bargain. That seems like a fair exchange, and if the kids at school tease you, you can put them in their place, as well."

The five-year-old sighed, frowning as she floated into the house with the three huge windows where she, Buttercup, Bubbles and the Professor resided.

"Professor, we're home!" Bubbles and Buttercup called as they floated through the house. When they didn't hear anything, they called a second time, announcing that they were home.

"Hmmm, that's strange," Blossom said, her momentary upset forgotten. Bubbles looked worried, and Buttercup scowled.

"Maybe he got eaten up by some monsters!" the brunette Powerpuff Girl pronounced.

Bubbles put her arm to her face as her eyes watered. _"Monsters!" _she wailed. "Oh, no! What'll we do?"

"Pound 'em, of course!" Buttercup said, waving her arms as though she were punching the snot out of real monsters.

Blossom looked somewhat disdainfully at her sisters. "You know, he could have just gone out for a paper or to the store for something," she told them. "Let's split up and search for clues."

The other two girls nodded, and the search was on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the women's prison, Sedusa sat on her bench in her cell, her face in her hands.

Angrilly she thought, _if only I'd defeated that Ms. Bellum and the Cream puffs! _She touched her once-long and lovely living strands of hair and walked over to the mirror. Her face fell as she saw that her hair had not grown very much in a month's time.

Not too long ago, Sedusa had used her special brand of hair gel to trap the Powerpuff Girls, even as she'd kidnapped the Mayor's assistant, Ms. Sara Bellum. But that fiasco had ended up trapping the villainess when the secretary and the girls overwhelmed her and snipped off all of her beautiful hair.

Now, amidst the still vibrant green eyes, the fanged teeth that could give a vampire a run for his money and a cute freckled face sat the boyish cut, all mismatched and scruffy looking.

Sedusa started to cry, but as the warden walked by, snapping at her to "shut up!" she sniffled and decided to stop feeling sorry for herself. The jewel thief extraordinaire thought a moment, making a plan that could secure her early release.

"Hmmm..." she said, her long gloved finger tapping her cheek as she considered something.

Sedusa could hear the footsteps of the Mayor approaching as he sang a song off-key. She had let him visit her, partially because she adored any man who adored her, and also because one never knew where an ally could be found in times of need. He liked her, maybe enough to get her out! Although the Mayor had refused her request, saying that the "people wouldn't like it", and "Ms. Bellum would have a to do about you being out too soon", the female burglar hadn't given up. Sedusa knew that her feminine wiles were getting to the Mayor little by little, and soon, she would be free to commit more crimes; free to get her revenge on the secretary and the Power Puffs.

She applied the small less-than-one-inch-tall tube of lipstick the prison matron had let her keep after a thorough inspection, making sure that she showed off her plump, seductive lips to their best advantage.

When she heard the prison guard telling the Mayor that it was okay to go in to visit cell number eleven, Sedusa used the tiny plastic comb and arranged her boyish locks as best she could. Peering in the mirror one last time, her lips curled up in an evil grin as she finally came up with a plan.

The Mayor's stubby legs carried him in through the chamber and past the cells with all of the female thieves. He paid no attention to Femme Fatale who gave him a dirty look and snarled about a man being in the women's side of the prison. He hummed and let the guard lead him closer to the woman he wanted to see more than anything.

Sedusa could hardly wait for the twit to enter her area. When the Mayor came in, pulling his sash which pronounced that he was a man of power, he said in a sing-song voice, "Oh, Sedusa...! Where are you, my little cup cake? Are you there?"

From the shadows where she sat on her cot, Sedusa thought, frowning, _First thing I'll do when I reach my salon is finish this boring idiot off!_

Her face became happy as she projected warmth toward the Mayor. "Ye-esss..." she sang back, hoping her act would be convincing. The Mayor came closer to the bars, his face lit up with excitement that Sedusa was there.

"I couldn't get you out of my mind after our last meeting," the Mayor said joyfully. "Why, my wife says that my peanuckle game is better than ever."

Sedusa couldn't let that one pass. She gave him a look and asked, "You play _what _with your wife?"

"I play peanuckle," the Mayor repeated. When he caught her expression, he asked, "Well, you don't think that we snuggle together under the comforter, do you?"

The villainess wasn't going to touch that with a ten-foot-pole. In her mind, however, she pictured the man she considered older than Methuselah and a woman who resembled him in looks trying to...She shook her head, trying to erase that image from her thoughts and glared at the Mayor when she couldn't.

_That's another reason to finish you along with the girls and that accursed secretary when I get out of here you little elf! _Sedusa thought.

"Well I could pay a call by your house sometime, or maybe your office," Sedusa purred, "to help you"—her next words held a twinge of disgust as she uttered them—"improve your, uh, _peanuckle _game."

The Mayor blushed, saying, "Oh, Sedusa, you make me smile. But I couldn't do that! My wife doesn't like any one to intrude!"

Sedusa rolled her eyes, but said, "Well, when you're in the office by yourself, I could help you with a lot of things, _if _you get me out, okay?"

The Mayor thought about that. He imagined Sedusa's long fingers sharpening the pencils in his office like she'd done before. Even Ms. Bellum wasn't that talented! He could use a good pencil sharpening.

Sedusa could tell by the way he was murmuring that she was about to hook a big fish. She said in her most charming, seductive voice, "Let's seal the deal, shall we?" She planted a very long, passionate kiss on his lips through the bars.

With a dreamy expression in his eyes, the Mayor stumbled toward the Warden's office, saying, "Ms. Ipswitch, uh, Warden Ipswitch?"

Warden Theresa Ipswitch looked down at the tiny man who held the futures of Townsville, including her job, in his hands. She could tell: he was bewitched by something. But, she was just the Warden, and she didn't have any prospects, particularly in the looks department. Her face was square and jowly looking, and her lips were very small and colorless. Her skin was almost as white as the Rowdyruff Boys'.

"Umm ah, could you release Miss Sedusa into my custody for awhile?" The Mayor asked.

Theresa considered, her forehead crinkled with worry above her beady, brown eyes. She didn't want to think of what the brunette temptress could do once released. But, the Warden needed her pension, so she wordlessly offered the key to Sedusa's cell to the most powerful man in Townsville.

"Thank you!" the Mayor shouted. He put the key in the lock of Sedusa's cell and told her, "you're free as a bird! Shall we continue this over a game of peanauckle in my office?"

Sedusa realized she had to put in an appearance at the Mayor's office, but she wanted to go to her lab and put things into motion, so she said, "May I take a rain check, honey?"

Looking up into her moist, light colored olive green eyes, the Mayor said, "Oh, shucks...Okay."

The temptress smiled evilly. Once she reached her lab and put the chemicals together for the formula _she _had in mind, Blossom, Ms. Bellum, and every woman and girl in Townsville would pay!


	2. Chapter 2

THE BLOSSUN-ZEL AFFAIR

CHAPTER TWO

Previously: _The temptress smiled evilly. Once she reached her lab and put the chemicals together for the formula she had in mind, Blossom, Ms. Bellum, and every woman and girl in Townsville would pay! _

**A/N: I know that Blossom and the Professor are a little OOC, but it was for the story's sake. Hopefully, that will work out in the end, particularly they're not too much out of character.**

**Ms. Bellum's backstory is done by an idea I had. As far as I know, it did not appear in the show. I still don't own her character, or any other famous ones, though.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Professor Utonium walked through the seemingly endless isles of _The Chemical Store of Townsville, _determined that he wouldn't leave until he found the ingredients he needed to make a formula that would grow Blossom's hair back. She'd looked so sad and bereft that morning, just like she had the other mornings when he'd agreed to get a tutor for her when she'd said adamantly that she would not go to Pokey Oaks until her hair came back.

At the time, the Professor had used every argument to get his precious Blossom back in school, but to no avail. So, rather than let her not learn for however long the injuries to her vain side concerning her hair took, he bowed to pressure and let her stay at home with a tutor, who coincidentally turned out to be Ms. Bellum.

Ms. Sara E. Bellum had agreed to teach Blossom because the Mayor's assistant was quite brilliant, and Ms. Keene had not been available. To add to that, Ms. Bellum had more degrees than most people knew. She had been a teacher before becoming the Mayor's assistant because she was tired of working with the very large classes of children she had been given when she'd taught at the Cityville Junior High School. When she'd moved to Townsville, it had been like a breath of fresh air.

The Mayor was like a child at times, she thought, but at least he was one person and not a whole room of them. And although Sara Estelle Bellum didn't need money, he paid extremely well; hence the swimming pool and the beautifully furnished glass house that she possessed atop Yoda Linda Lane.

But, sometimes, she missed the challenge of having real children and not just a grown up child at heart. So, enter the Professor and the ever increasingly intelligent Blossom. The opportunity to teach her new things while the Professor worked out the magic formula for growing her hair back was too delicious for Ms. Bellam to resist! Besides, her mind and other parts of her anatomy told her, the Professor was serious eye candy, and she had a serious sweet tooth lately, looking at his square face and nicely set dark orbs.

She also liked his well-modulated voice with its logical sounding timbre, as well as his intelligence. Of course, she would never breach the bounds of propriety that dictated she _not_ tell the Professor anything about her feelings. So, Ms. Sara E. Bellam studied, and appreciated, him from afar; and, because she loved the girls like the daughters she never had, the Mayor's assistant taught Blossom part time.

But now, it was coming to an end. Now, the Professor would be getting the ingredients he needed, and Blossom's beautiful, red hair would be back to normal. So, no more home tutoring; no more slightly extra cash (which she gave to her family since they were not as well off as she was,) and no more staring at the Professor when he wasn't looking (which was most of the time).

Ms. Bellum sighed, a long, suffering one. Blossom, who had stopped looking for the Professor to study when Ms. Bellum had dropped by, looked up at her inquiringly.

"Ms. Bellam, are you all right?" the leader of the Powerpuff Girls asked.

"I'm okay, Blossom," the Mayor's assistant told the red headed girl. "Just waiting for the Professor, that's all."

"We are, too," Blossom replied, as her sisters floated back into the room.

"We couldn't find him anywhere," Bubbles said, her floating; her blond head hanging down with sadness.

"This stinks!" Buttercup protested. "Why would he just take off and not tell us anything? That's so unlike him!"

Blossom walked toward the regular phone that wasn't too far from the PPG hotline. "We should call the police," she said, taking charge of the situation like always. Bubbles and Buttercup nodded their agreement.

Uncharacteristically, Ms. Bellum was in panic mode. The Professor had told her to keep things quiet, that he would be the one to tell the girls about the miracle hair growth formula he'd found. But now, it looked like she'd have to reveal what had happened to him.

"Girls, I don't think you have to do that," the secretary told them. "The Professor is just out at the Chemical Store and he'll be back soon." Blossom put the phone back in its cradle.

"Why didn't he say something?" she wondered, staring at Ms. Bellum.

"Yeah, and why'd he tell you first where he was going?" Buttercup asked her.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," she reported, mentally kicking herself for not having guarded the secret better. Bubbles smiled and danced around in the air.

"Maybe it's a surprise for you, Blossom!" She cried cheerfully.

"Yeah, maybe it'll help you stop acting like such a down in the dumps dorkface lately!" Buttercup put in.

"I am _not _a dorkface!" Blossom snapped, thinking as she imagined her hacked off head, _but I sure look like one with all of my hair gone!_

The girls were all excited as they stopped searching and wondered what fantastic present the Professor would bring home for Blossom. Ms. Bellum hoped the Professor wouldn't be too annoyed about the surprise being discussed, at least a little. She took comfort that the girls didn't know what the item was so not too much damage was done.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Sedusa breathed the Townsville air as she made her way into _The Chemical Store. _She was glad that she had concocted this formula in her lab before she had even kidnapped Ms. Bellum and seduced the Mayor last month.

"Now to see if this works!" She said, going over to the hair restoration section of products. Sedusa checked her disguise in the mirror, confirming that the clothes she wore made her look like a perfectly innocent clerk and not the arch criminal she actually was.

"Excuse me," Professor Utonium said, going past her to the hair restorative section of tonics. Sedusa panicked for a moment. She hadn't time to put her special bottles of Rapunzit on the shelf and if the Professor grabbed the wrong bottle...

She walked over to him where he searched and asked in a perfectly innocent sounding voice, "Sir? May I help you?"

Professor Utonium now gave her his full attention, taking in the strawberry blonde wig Sedusa wore. "I'm looking for a shampoo made with ingredients for a little girl."

"How precious!" Sedusa exclaimed. "How old is she?"

"Five," he said, not recognizing the villainess who'd tried to seduce him in her Ima Goodlady get up.

Sedusa pretended to search the bottles on the shelf and plucked one from the bunch (the bunch in her pocket, that is.) She handed it to the Professor, who looked at the beautiful blue container.

"Rapunzit?" He queried. "I've never heard of it. Is it new?"

"Oh, yeah," Sedusa said in her high pitched, High School Student sounding voice. The Professor frowned.

"I don't know, Miss..." he said. "My daughter is a very special little girl, and I don't want to put something too different on her hair."

Sedusa was quick with the list of chemicals as she said, "I understand. I use it myself, and so does my sister. But, look over this list, and see if there is anything that isn't legit. If there isn't, you can return the purchase, and get a full refund. That's what my mother did, and the worst that happened to her was that it didn't make her hair grow, that's all."

The Professor considered again, saying, "Well, I suppose if I can get my money back, and nothing will happen to her..." He took out his wallet, saying, "Miss, you've got yourself a sale!"

As he looked down to take out some dollars, Sedusa grinned evilly for the briefest of moments, her Mask of Innocence firmly in place when she muttered something about taking the money to the front.

She made the correct change and gave the scientist his money. As he walked out of the store, grateful that he'd found something for Blossom, another woman came up to Sedusa and said, "Miss, I can't help overhearing what you said! Will that work on a middle aged woman's hair?"

The woman pulled off her hat to show her slightly thinning hair. Laughing inwardly, Sedusa said with mock seriousness to the woman, "I guarantee it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later, Sedusa peeled off her disguise in her lab and settled down to watch the News of Townsville. She'd sold every bottle she had, courtesy of the sweet smelling pheromones that attached themselves to anyone who handled a bottle of _Rapunzit. _As the news commentator reported the sales of the product, the evil woman smiled, her fangs glistening.

Now had come the time for retribution, and she was ready.


	3. Chapter 3

THE BLOSSUN-ZEL AFFAIR

CHAPTER THREE

**A/N: One thing I should apologize for in the first chapter: it looks like only a day had passed between Blossom's hair being cut in the unflattering hair style and the events of this fic. In actuality, a few weeks have passed. Just clearing that up.**

**Thanks, Livi-Love, for your kind review. They really do make my day!**

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ms. Bellum was ecstatic that the Professor wasn't upset when he'd found out that she hadn't been able to keep his secret surprise from the girls. As she drove to the beauty parlor, Ms. Bellum imagined what Blossom would do when the Professor revealed the way he would be able to make her look normal again. A small snicker left from behind her red hair as she beheld Blossom's crude coiffeur. The older woman could imagine the ribbing the girl had gotten; she'd been in that boat once when she had been a little girl and could sympathize with Blossom's predicament.

Ms. Bellum pulled into the parking lot of the mini mall on Front Avenue. She got out of the car and walked toward her favorite hair salon in town (which was, of course, the only hair salon in town).

"Ms. Bellum, oh Ms. Bellum!" Kandace Koifeur, the secretary's hair stylist called. She tugged Ms. Bellum into the shop and led her to a chair.

"What's all the excitement, Kandace?" Ms. Bellum asked, extremely curious. The attractive, British sounding, platinum haired stylist placed a smock on her client and grinned.

"My dear," she said to Ms. Bellum, "you've _got _to try this new product!" She showed the secretary the blue bottle of _Rapunzit. _From behind her mountain of curly red hair, Sara Bellum frowned. For some reason, she didn't trust what was in the little blue bottle.

Before she could protest, however, Kandace was working the hair care product into Ms. Bellum's curly tresses. The secretary, once wary, found herself relaxing as she leaned back in the chair in front of the hair stylist's sink.

Ms. Bellum practically purred her next words. "Ummm," she said almost lustfully. "Smells divine! What did you say it was called?"

Kandace answered, "_Rapunzit. _I got it from this clerk who works at the Chemical store downtown. Sometimes, I get samples of products that I make shampoos and other hair care items out of."

"Well, I'm glad I tried some," Ms. Bellum said, letting Kandace massage it into her hair.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Ms. Bellum settled down, supremely glad that she'd let the hair stylist try some on her, Blossom was having a similar reaction as Bubbles and Buttercup worked the lather inside the little blue bottle into her hacked off red hair. The Professor looked on, grinning as they worked. He was happy that Blossom was smiling for the first time in weeks.

"Don't worry, Blossum!" Bubbles cried, her enthusiasm and positive nature at an all-time high. "Your hair will be beautiful in no time!"

"Yeah, and with it looking pretty again, you can go back to school and start playing with us!" Buttercup exclaimed, adding, "I've got some new defense moves to show you!"

Buttercup rinsed the lather off of the exposed parts of Blossum's skull. "And, I've made you a drawing in honor of your coming back!" Bubbles explained to her sister. "I'm not letting you see it until you go to school!"

Butttercup applied some more lather for the second wash as she said, "Blossum doesn't want to see your silly drawing!"

Bubbles started to protest, but the Professor jumped into the conversation, saying, "I think that the drawing's a great idea, as is the idea of practicing defense moves together!" He said to the two girls who attended Blossom, "I also appreciate your help with your sister's hair."

When they toweled her off, Blossom floated to the mirror and stared, and a few more moments later, she stared again. "I just don't get it," she said a moment later when she still saw her patches of hair and no growth. Her face fell, even as the Professor was picking up the bottle and studying it carefully.

"Blossom, honey," the scientist soothed, "don't worry." He pointed to the back of the bottle. "It says to wait overnight for results. I'm sure that by the time you get ready for school tomorrow, your hair will be back to its long, beautiful self!"

Both girls nodded enthusiastically. Blossum smiled, then she floated to the kitchen for dinner. The rest of her family followed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

From her vantage point near the back of the Professor's home, Sedusa danced as the sun departed the sky. When the women and little girls who'd used her hair care formula woke up the next day, the villainess would have her revenge.

Sedusa went to her hideout and, toasting to her success, waited for the next day to come.


	4. Chapter 4

THE BLOSSUN-ZEL AFFAIR

**A/N: Thanks to all who like this story! Your alerts and comments inspire me. In this chapter, I spoof the show "Moonlighting" just a little, since the "Powerpuff Girls" series tends to be satirical and to use references to pop culture. This chapter is an edited version of the first chapter four. Hope you enjoy this better than the first one. I ****wanted to make it better; hence, this one. Sorry for the very long delay, but I was consumed by other WIP's.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own either show, and any references are not meant to infringe. I sure as heck am NOT making one dime off of either show, and this chapter (as well as the fic,) are for fun only.**

**Previously: **_When they toweled her off, Blossom floated to the mirror and stared, and a few more moments later, she stared again. "I just don't get it," she said a moment later when she still saw her patches of hair and no growth. Her face fell, even as the Professor was picking up the bottle and studying it carefully._

_"Blossom, honey," the scientist soothed, "don't worry." He pointed to the back of the bottle. "It says to wait overnight for results. I'm sure that by the time you get ready for school tomorrow, your hair will be back to its long, beautiful self!"_

_Both girls nodded enthusiastically. Blossum smiled, then she floated to the kitchen for dinner. The rest of her family followed._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_From her vantage point near the back of the Professor's home, Sedusa danced as the sun departed the sky. When the women and little girls who'd used her hair care formula woke up the next day, the villainess would have her revenge._

_Sedusa went to her hideout and, toasting to her success, waited for the next day to come._

CHAPTER FOUR

The next morning, Bubbles was the first to wake up. She shook her messy pigtails and blinked her large, blue eyes to rid them of sleep. Buttercup yawned and stretched, shaking her short, black tresses off of her face. Both sisters waited for Blossom to emerge from her pink section of their comforter.

First, yawning was heard; then, the cover slowly was pulled down... "Blossom!" Bubbles exclaimed.

Blossom asked on a yawn, "What?" She stretched, starting to pull the covers down further but then thought better of it as she told her sisters, "Oh, I get it: you both are gonna laugh at me again, right?"

Buttercup flew over to the dresser and combed her hair, "Nope! You don't get it; your hair _totally _rocks!"

Blossom's pink orbs blinked slowly. "Huh?" She asked. Bubbles giggled a little as though she were in on a private joke.

"Oh, Blossom," she said, grabbing her beloved doll Occy and placing him on her pillow, "I wish I had your long hair sometimes! You look radiant!"

Blossom drifted over to the mirror and was about to see if her sisters were right about her hair when the Professor walked in.

"Good morning, girls!" He shouted his usual salutation, then stopped as he saw Blossom's beautiful, newly restored, red tresses. "Blossom, you're back to normal! Congratulations!"

Blossom stared at the mirror; then she smiled. "Thanks, you guys!" She called to her family happily, giving her sisters a warm hug. Looking at Professor Utonium, she said, "And thanks, Professor! Now I can go to school again!" She flew over to him, hugged him, and he delivered a fatherly kiss on her cheek.

The scientist replied, "I'll go make breakfast, and it'll be something special: strawberry pancakes!"

"My _favorite!_" Blossom cried. The girls dressed hurriedly, eager to start the day at Pokey Oaks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Miss Bellum stepped out of the shower, her curly red hair down over her face, as usual. She dried it with her red _Salone Selectric _Hair Dryer, waiting for it to fluff up. Behind the big curly muff of hair, Miss Bellum grinned when she saw herself in the mirror. She had never had such a glow before! She applied her subtle perfume of honeysuckle, put on her underthings and her red dress with a big brown belt and tugged on her high heeled shoes.

_One thing's certain, _she thought when she grabbed her car keys, _if Rapunzit looks __**this **__good every time I wash my hair I'll be keeping it for some time!_

The assistant went to her garage and drove through the traffic, ready to tackle a new day at the Mayor's beck and call.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Little Miss Vena deVain looked into her mirror that morning and combed out her honey blonde tresses after having used the new hair product her nanny had recommended to her—Repunzil, something—and knew she just _had _to have control of this product! Second only to Princess Morebucks in terms of the money she had, courtesy of her fabulously wealthy mother, The Stock Magnate Vera deVain, the little girl wasn't accustomed to people saying "no" to her.

She picked up her extension and dialed 777. When the phone rang, she called, "Carstairs! Go get my mother on the phone!"

The old butler's voice came on instantly. "Yes, Miss!"

He paused to hear the Little Miss's next command (for she always had one). "And, Carstairs!" She ordered.

"Yes, Miss?" His voice asked.

She commanded, her intense, emerald green eyes flashing, "Find out where my rival, Princess Morebucks, is!"

"Instantly, Miss!" Came the servant's response. Vena grinned when she heard his scuffling to do her bidding. Little Miss Vena deVain loved making the ones working under her jump! Too bad, she thought somewhat sadly, she was two years older than Princess and couldn't attend the kindergarten class her competitor went to. But, she still found other ways to torment the spoiled brat she lived next door to; that was, when the Powerpuff Girls didn't beat Vena to it.

But, Princess was out of the country today, and so Vena couldn't play with someone she considered worthy of her enmity. As for the disgustingly do gooder Powerpuff Girls, Vena simply didn't bother. They were beneath her; thus, they weren't worth her time or attention. Only rich people mattered; only those who could, with a word or a command, steal her fortunes away—or at the very least, get what she wanted before she had a chance to control it!

That was why she was going to gain stock in the Rapunzil product! _She _would own it, and she would have every woman in Townsville begging to buy her product!

"Yes, dear?" Her mother's voice came over the line. Vena gripped the phone in her tiny hand with white hot anger.

"_Where have you been, mother?!" _She shrieked.

"Looking over my many stocks, dear," her mother said, cajolingly.

"In the time it took for you to answer me, that Rap...Rap...hair product _could have been bought and sold to millions!"_ Vena thundered. "I _want _the stock in that _now!"_

"Rapunzit?" Her mother echoed. "Yes, of course, I'll take care of it!" She went about doing what she did best: initiating a hostile takeover of the person or persons who owned control of _Rapunzit._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In her apartment over The Motel of Townsville, Sedusa watched the news. When the news commentator said that _Rapunzit _was reaching the hundred thousand mark for sales in Townsville, the villainess poured herself some sparkling grape juice, (as she wanted to be stone cold sober for what would happen next,) and toasted her success.

Her cell phone rang. She went over and greeted into the receiver, "Yes?"

A voice came over the line, deep and seductive sounding. "Are you Miss Ima Nicegrl?" The voice asked.

"Yes," Sedusa answered, a little crossly. She was impatient to give the women of Townsville what was coming to them.

"I want 51 percent ownership in your stock, for which I'm prepared to pay $13,000,000! Are you interested?" the voice asked. Sedusa drew back the phone from her face. What kind of joker was _this?!_

"Get lost!" She cried venomously, pleased that she could tell whoever it was to buzz off. She pressed the "off" button and threw the phone onto the bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the other end of the line, Vera DeVain was fuming. How _dare _Miss Nicegrl treat her like that! Her whole face frowned, which she knew could be bad for her image since she often stood in front of her company's board and charmed them with her violet eyes, seductive voice, and award winning smile. Minutes later, Vera grinned broadly as she decided to do what she did best: simply take over Miss Not-so-nice-girl's assets without telling the witch!

Hurriedly, she dialed the phone and called her buyer. Moments later, Vera heard a charming baritone ask, "Yes?" over the line.

"Charles," Vera said, "start buying stock in _Rapunzit _anonymously. Make it an eighth birthday present for our daughter."

"Anytime, sweet," Charles's voice said, then the line went silent.

Vera leaned back in her rich, mahogany chair and smiled. There was more than one way to pluck a chicken, and she would come out on top in her newly declared war with Miss Nicegrl!

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sedusa aimed the device that resembled a remote control in her long, slender hand. "Now, Women of Townsville, prepare to pay!" She shouted, pressing the red button at its top.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Miss Bellum yanked open the door with a hand that had been full of papers for the Mayor to sign. She had put them down since, last time she'd checked, she didn't have a third hand to grab the door while she used the other two to hold the papers.

"Mayor, I have some documents..." Miss Bellum started saying; then she stopped as her hair started going wild. It pinned her down on the little man's carpet. She struggled to free herself from her attacking hair.

XXXXXXXXXXX

In another area of Townsville, a man who resembled David Addison came into his partner's office in the Agency. Yesterday, Maggie had boasted about her new hair, and her new look. When he barged into her office, Bruce Addington found the seductive blonde on the floor, struggling to grab the door handle, her body securely fastened by her long hair.

"New exercise, Maggie?" Bruce asked seductively. "And, can I join you?"

"Mmph!" was Maggie Haines' only reply.

XXXXXXXXXXX

At the Mayor's office, reports were coming in from all over. The little man was frustrated; his monocle had steamed up with his effort to answer the complaints, mostly from husbands and boyfriends.

"Uh, yes, sir!" The Mayor said to a businessman. "I'll send someone to take care of it!...Yes, yes, I'll get on that right away!...Yes, it is a real problem…I've got to call the girls!" He hung up, his eyes straying to Miss Bellum, who was still struggling to escape her own snare by her own hair.

After answering a few more calls, the Mayor shoved the ringing phones off of his desk and called the Powerpuff Girls' hotline.

XXXXXXXXXX

At their home, Bubbles and Buttercup were trying desperately to free Blossom from the hair winding around her. She only had her eyes barely peeking out from her huge, round face.

"Bubbles, grab her hair and pull!" Buttercup ordered. Bubbles tried to grab the hair, but every time she had some in her hand, Blossom's red, longer-than-she-had-ever-grown hair moved away.

"I'm trying!" Bubbles insisted. "I don't think this will work, anyway! We could hurt Blossom if we use our powers to pull too hard!"

Meanwhile, the Professor, who had gone into his lab and was working on another problem, heard the hotline. He grabbed the phone, answering, "Powerpuff Girls' residence. Professor Utonium...".

"Hang the greeting, Professor!" the Mayor's frantic voice came over the line. "Where are the girls?!" He glanced at Miss Bellum again, who kept trying to grab her moving hair to no avail as it kept winding its way around her.

"I don't know, Mr. Mayor," the Professor said calmly. "I'll run upstairs and check."

XXXXXXXXXXX

The Mayor heard the scientist's feet running up the stairs; then, the smaller man heard the flinging of a door, followed by a male, "Oh, my gosh!"

XXXXXXXXXX

In the Powerpuff Girls' bedroom, Bubbles screamed wildly, "Professor, HEELLLPPP!"

Buttercup added, "You've gotta do something! Quick!" The menacing hair slammed the door on the hapless scientist.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for all the delays with this fic. My muse had left for a very long time, as I pursued other fandoms. However, I am encouraged by those kind enough to review me or alert me—you guys and gals are the best!—and so, here is another chappie.**

**This chapter picks up from where the last left off. To summarize, Sedusa is doing something wicked to the Women of Townsville and the Powerpuff Girls. Let's hope someone can rescue them before it's too late.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. PPG belongs to Craig McCraken, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, and all partners and subsidiaries. I'm still collecting absolutely NO profit, and this is a labor of fun.**

CHAPTER FIVE

_Previously: In the Powerpuff Girls' bedroom, Bubbles screamed wildly, "Professor, HEELLLPPP!"_

_Buttercup added, "You've gotta do something! Quick!" The menacing hair slammed the door on the hapless scientist._

Xxxxxxxxxx

Outside the girls' room, Professor Utonium started to run to aid his daughters, forgetting that he was still clutching the phone.

"Ullppp!" He exclaimed when the phone cord jerked him back slightly.

"Professor? Professor, are you there?" A shrill, high voice asked. The dark haired scientist remembered that the Mayor was on the other line.

"I'm sorry, I'll have to call you back!" the scientist shouted, hanging up the phone.

He pounded on the door to the girls' room, calling, "Girls, girls! Can you hear me? Are you all right?"

He pressed his ear to the door and heard a lot of muffled noises; then, a high voice cried, "Professor, help! We can't pull the hair off of Blossom!" And then he heard a slightly lower pitched, "If we don't get this stuff off of her, Blossom's a _goner!"_

Utonium concentrated for a moment. He knew he had to act fast. Heading toward his lab, he hoped he'd be able to find something. On the way, he heard the newscaster say on his TV, …"and women's hair is going absolutely wild! Every policeman has been dispatched, but the emergency is so wide spread that they are unable to contain the menace! In other news…".

"Oh my goodness!" Utonium yelled as he entered his lab. Looking around at the chemicals he bought, he didn't see what he was searching for.

"Not one product for hair care…" he muttered. His eyes darting back and forth, the scientist also realized one more thing. "And, I don't even know what's causing this!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

In the girls' room, Blossom tried using her cold breath from under her binding tresses to freeze some of them. For a moment, all was peaceful.

"Bubbles, see if you can laser the frozen part of my hair off of me!" the oldest Powerpuff girl shouted.

"But, Blossom," Bubbles started to protest, "that would make you have uneven hair again!"

"Yeah, and you'd be whiny all day!" Buttercup put in, earning a glare (even though she couldn't see it) from Blossom.

"I only froze the bottom half, so the rest would be still here, and we can worry about styling later!" Blossom said.

"Well, okay…" Bubbles replied, still dubious. Her eyes glowed, then grew brighter. Suddenly, the red haired girl was enveloped in a laser with a bluish tint.

"Hey, are you all right?" Buttercup asked after she and Bubbles saw the hair fall off.

Blossom laughed as they saw the hair twitching like a snake. "Yeah," she said, giggling. "It tickles!"

Bubbles joined in, commenting, "Oh, it's a joy to have you back!"

"Yeah, for awhile, you were acting so dorky!" Buttercup shouted.

"Was not!" Blossom yelled.

"Was too!" Buttercup bounced back.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"NOT!" Blossom said, while Bubbles sighed, wondering when her two sisters would stop arguing. None of the girls noticed the twitching hair slithering up the bedpost.

"TOO!" Buttercup said, as the hair got ready to leap.

"For the last time," Blossom cried at the top of her voice, "I was _not _a—gulp!" The severed hair had reattached itself the hair on Blossom's head and was wrapping itself around her again.

"Oh, gosh, I'm _sorry, _Blossom!" Buttercup said, really feeling guilty. "Okay, Bubbles…pull!"

But, try as they might, each tug made Blossom gasp all the more. The two girls were at a loss. They didn't know what to do.

XXXXXXXXXX

Miss Bellum tried as much as she could to leap over to her bedroom (or at least what she thought was her bedroom since she couldn't see). When her hair protested that move, she dropped to the floor and slithered over to a large open space. What little she was able to smell told her that she was in her living room, with its picturesque windows that were open. She knew that her pool was outside from the scent of the chlorine.

Suddenly, a memory hit her, as she remembered her recent fight with Sedusa. She had overpowered the temptress by flinging her into the pool. That had rendered the villainess's tensile tresses inoperative.

As the memory faded, Miss Bellum had a terrible feeling. _Could __**Sedusa**__ be behind this hair-gone-berserk escapade?_

But her perfectly organized mind told her that no, Sedusa was in jail. Of course, she could have been released, or she could have escaped. If that was true….

Frantically, Miss Bellum tried rolling toward her glass door. When she found it, she slowly worked her body so that it gained momentum, then toppled over into the swimming pool.

If she was right, maybe her hair would break free of its strangle hold. For a moment, Miss Bellum felt the cold water overtaking her.

_NO!_ She told herself. _I'm not going to the angels tonight! _

Struggling to break free, she felt her hair float away from her slender body. Working her way to the surface, she gulped in great breaths of air. But, before she could climb out of her pool, her red tresses steeled themselves for another fight. They grabbed her and they were about to pull her down to her watery demise, when….

Miss Bellum felt herself being pulled up by a pair of strong hands. "Miss Bellum!" she heard a familiar voice cry. More gently, the voice asked, "Are you all right?" The Mayor's assistant felt herself being set down by her lawn chair.

She reached up and wiped the traces of pool water out of her eyes. For a second, she couldn't open them against the burning. But, as her blue eyes adjusted to the dim light, she looked up. Seeing a man in a lab coat, Miss Sara Bellum knew that could only belong to one person.

"Pro—" she coughed, then said, more clearly, "Professor Utonium? What are you _doing _here?"

"I was coming to your house to see if I could borrow something for my girls. They're in trouble, and well…I wouldn't leave them without good reason, but I couldn't find anything in my lab that could help them, and then I thought, since you're a woman and our friend…" He babbled, finishing with, "You might have some hair products I could borrow."

Despite herself, Miss Bellum thought that he looked positively adorable. She might have gotten a better look, but her hair was starting to go wild again.

"Professor!" She cried, then she was silenced by her hair stuffing itself into her mouth.

"Oh, my gosh!" He exclaimed. "Bedroom…?"

Miss Bellum managed after great difficulty to free one arm from the wild hair. Pointing to a room behind them on the left, the Professor looked with regret as he realized that, like his girls, he would have to leave Miss Bellum where she was for a moment.

He rushed into the bedroom, looking at various hair products and make up products. Her room was neat and tidy; her red dresses all lined up in her walk in closet. Black and brown belts to cinch her waist were hanging next to the office apparel. He could see a bottle of _Ecklipse _perfume, and next to that, a bottle of hairspray. But, it was the familiar blue bottle on the dresser that caught his eye.

Turning it around, as he suspected, he saw the bottle that had been in the girls' room.

"_Rapunzit!" _He exclaimed, grabbing the bottle. The scientist remembered the nice girl who had shown him the product. Ima Nicegrl, her nameplate had read. Then, he recalled Miss Ima Nicelady, the woman he'd fallen for recently; the woman who turned out to be…. "Oh, no! _Sedusa!_" He shouted.

Miss Bellum managed to grab the bedroom door handle. The Professor was standing in stunned amazement that he had managed to be duped by the seductress _again. _She leaped toward her dresser; then, spying a bottle that was small and brown, Miss Bellum sprayed her hair. It became straight, still covering most of her face.

"Professor?" She asked. Ever the scientist, he plucked the brown bottle from Miss Bellum's hand and was studying it.

"Amazing!" He shouted. "What is this?"

Shrugging, the Mayor's assistant said, "Hair straightener. I sometimes use it when I want to abandon my curls for awhile."

"And, it may be the key to our problem, if I can make more…" the Professor said, asking, "May I borrow this to use some on a common foe of ours?"

"Of course," Miss Bellum said, pleased that she could help. "But what's this all about? Does it involve Sedusa, somehow?"

"Does it ever! Come on," he said. "I'll tell you on the way!"

"I'll change then meet you at your car," Miss Bellum said. After a few minutes, she had put on a dry dress and, her hair swinging like Veronica Lake's, they went to his vehicle and took off.


End file.
